An adventurer's diary

For a man who owns a brand that Oprah Winfrey and Rupert Murdoch wear (to name just two high-profile celebrities), Will Stein is down-to-earth. Although he once had an entirely different ambition in mind, creating his own line of luxury watches is a pragmatic example of how his ambition and ability have allowed him to succeed in business.

Stein was born in Germany, where he lived most of his young life. He never considered running a business and he wasn't particularly interested in watches. "My dad once got me a Timex watch and that was the only thing that connected me to watches," he says. Instead, in his younger years he hoped to become an actor.

But his father had other plans for him. So a young Stein found himself studying hotel management and marketing instead. After completing his degree, he joined Lufthansa in Berlin where he worked as the catering manager for Europe.

"My job involved a lot of travelling, which helped me meet people and understand different cultures. I think this has become my strength as I can understand quickly what people like, how they work in different countries, their attitudes and desires," he says.

Changing track

Despite having a job, Stein's desire to act and be creative was still strong - so he ultimately yielded to its pull. He resigned from his job with Lufthansa and moved to the US.

"I went on a student exchange programme to the United States when I was 17, and ever since that trip, I was keen to move to America. So in 1996 I decided to relocate and start a new life," says Stein.

While in the US, Stein took up acting lessons and did some infomercials, commercials and earned a few small roles in movies. He was happy to be in the US, but he didn't have a firm footing in his career. It was then that his life took a new twist.

He met Rina, the woman who would soon become his wife. With her experience working in the watch industry, she coaxed him into it. "Rina brought me back to reality," says Stein. After they got married, the couple established the watch company, but they decided to make watches with a difference. With his wife handling the creative and design aspects of the business, Stein took on the marketing and distribution of the brand. "Be it watches or any other product - if you know marketing you can market any product," says the Miami-based entrepreneur who was in Dubai recently to promote the Philip Stein brand of watches.

The first few years were quiet and then opportunity knocked on the door. Stein was approached by two individuals who wanted to buy a large amount of watches from his company. The men said they had a unique ‘frequency technology' that could make people feel better and more relaxed when it's used in a watch.

Stein says, "After meeting with them I told my wife, ‘If you analyse the watch industry, its evolution, around 80 years ago it was simply a time-telling device. Then other companies made it a fashion accessory. The next phase was when watches became gadgets with calculators'."

With a functional object becoming aspirational, it was only natural that Stein thought of bringing to the watch yet another dimension - that of a health device!

"One of the biggest industries today is health and well-being. So I said to myself, if we can make our watch a well-being accessory it'll be a revolution in the industry'."

The Steins bought the proprietary rights to that technology, which created quite a stir and that's how the brand Philip Stein was born. It was incorporated in 2002.

A watch for well-being

The watches promote well-being with technology that helps balance the body's energy flow, also referred to in Chinese traditional medicine as ‘chi'.

The brand currently offers two technologies in its best-selling timepieces - Electromagnetic Frequency technology utilising electromagnetic fields, introduced in 2003, and Natural Frequency technology, introduced in 2008. While one makes use of electromagnetic frequencies, which are delivered through a dual-chip system, the Natural Frequency technology is delivered to wearers through a metal disc inside the watch that has been infused with key frequencies. When worn on the wrist, the watch exposes frequencies and information to the biofield of the person wearing it. The biofield, which is the master energy field that regulates the body's functions, ‘informs' the body to relax, and in doing so, the person becomes more resistant to stress.

Studies have shown that consumers have reported better sleep, less stress, and have developed a clearer focus and better concentration when wearing Philip Stein watches.

Naming the brand

Having pinned down the technology, it took a while to decide on the name. "My real name is Willham Stein but you can't lend this name to an international brand. My American name is Will Stein and even that doesn't sound like an international brand. At that time my wife was pregnant, so we thought we would call our son Ben Philip. But then we decided against it." Eventually their son was called Ben and the watches Phillip Stein.

The brand was an immediate success because Oprah Winfrey is one of its biggest endorsers. She loved the watch after she was presented one by Madonna and promoted it on her show, Oprah's Favourite Things. To get that kind of an endorsement by Oprah Winfrey without paying any money was a major feat for the couple.

"I don't believe in paying money for celebrity endorsements because when you pay, the celebrity wears it for a year and then another brand comes in with more money and out goes your brand," Stein says, explaining the vagaries of marketing strategies.

What spurred the Steins on in their venture was their drive, passion and ability to take risks. It's this risk-taking ability that Stein uses in his personal life as well.

I, ME, MYSELF

I am an adventurer. I live life to the fullest. When I wake up I thank God for waking up and being able to walk, talk, touch and see - then I jump right into this adventure called life.

When I was young, I was constantly hitchhiking. At one point, I hitchhiked from Germany all the way down to North Africa. We slept outside, in tents, without tents - it was fun.

My wife on the other hand thinks of consequences first. We were in Switzerland having coffee and I saw people paragliding above the mountains and I was like, ‘I have to do this'. My wife said, ‘You have a son and a family - how can you do this?'

But I went up the next day and did it anyway. I am impulsive and spontaneous. I am hoping to do the Pan America drive from southern America to Alaska soon.

I watch what I do because I want to do the right thing. It's also because I don't want to disappoint or offend anyone. Another reason for watching my actions is my son, as I want to set a good example for him. Having said that, I don't live the life other people want me to live. Watching every step would mean a very cautious approach towards living, which my nature doesn't permit. As long as I am doing the right thing and not hurting anyone, I guess it's fine.

I don't always watch what I say. As you grow older, you learn to control your tongue. Now I think twice before saying anything as I don't want to get another strand of grey hair!

I do not believe in the wait and watch principle as one needs to take risks. Until you have tried something, you won't know if it's worth your while. For example, I wanted to become an actor, so I went to America and tried - it's good to take risks. With the wait and watch principle, there's a certain amount of patience involved which I do have when I need to see a business grow. But to start a business you have to jump into it, you can't be patient for it to happen.

I don't watch the world go by. It's good to be active in the world, change things and try to help certain causes. I believe when you are blessed to get, you should also give. We help financially where we can. We give a lot to charitable causes - they could be medical treatment for a family who is in need of help. We are thinking of having our own foundation but as of now, we look around us to see where we can lend a helping hand. For example, there was a family in the US which had problems due to a hurricane and when we heard of their plight, we helped them out.

I would like to write a book or make a movie. At one point in my life, I started to write a book on my life and how everything has changed from the time I was in Germany to where I am today. I have written a few chapters, but I'm not sure if and when I'll finish it. It's a dream and I think dreams usually take time to realise. I think I'm the best person to play Will Stein in a screen adaptation of my book or maybe my son if he's interested.

I, ME, MYSELF

Me and change

I find it difficult to change my personality traits. But I don't find it difficult to relocate. I can live in Dubai today, Hong Kong tomorrow and Miami the next day. I am very easy to adapt that way. As far as changing traits is concerned, I think it's a constant reminder that you have to give yourself time. If I'm angry, I have to look at my situation from the outside. Because you have to come out of yourself to see and make the change.

Me and my motto in life

The father of a friend of mine had Lugarics disease. He passed away but he would say: ‘Find something that you would die for and live for that.' In his case it was the cure for the disease. So, if you really find something that you have the passion for then it's really worth your while.

Most people walk through life to make a living, to make money, but I think you need to find that passion, that one thing to die and live for at the same time. I have the passion for my product, it's not just a beautiful watch but as has been proved by testimonials from customers, it can help you feel better. In fact, we are coming out with a new product called the Sleep bracelet. We used the same (frequency-based) technology and adapted it to a certain need. We identified different frequencies in order to sleep faster and deeper. It's the creation, the thinking and the analysis of situations that drives me.

Me and my family

Family for me is of prime importance - I love being with them. If you have a close-knit family that stands by you, then that's the essence of life. When I was living with my parents, my father had to work in shifts so I would not see him most of the time. Only once my parents, sister and I had a meal together on Christmas Day and that was the happiest day of my life. That's why I like the family to be close, it's beautiful to see that everyone gets along. As a family, we try to spend at least one day during the week together. Another important thing for me when it comes to family is communication. In my opinion communication in this world is slowly disappearing. Although we have mobile phones, computers and I can chat with and see my family from anywhere in the world, for me face-to-face interaction with one's family is the most important thing.

Me and getting stung by criticism

Well, if the criticism is constructive then I take it well or else I don't. The funny part is that I decide what's constructive and that's a problem sometimes! I believe I can be a stubborn guy at times and if I have made up my mind about something, it's difficult to take criticism for it.

Me and travel

Travel to me means exploring the world, exploring cultures, people and mentalities. The interesting part about travelling is to walk through a city completely strange to you, to see how people in that city interact, to taste the food there - this experience in itself expands your horizons. I was raised very independently and at the age of ten I travelled with a group of students to England and lived with a family for three weeks. That was the initial spark that made me think: ‘Hey I can do this, I can get out and live on my own'. It's the freedom of being able to do something, pick up and move. I strongly recommend when the child is about 16-17, that he live away from his parents for at least a year, as it will be a great learning experience for both him and his parents.

Me and technology

I love technology. I love the new iPhone which I have pre-ordered and I love computers. Technology is fun, it's necessary but it's also important how you use it. Even though I have a

Facebook account, I hardly use it. I know that some people are addicted to Facebook. I think it's good to stay connected once in a while, but to be completely hooked to the internet and cut yourself out of the real world is bad. Technology is also a part of my work and I always keep my ears and eyes open for new developments in technology, although I am not a tech buff. If I come across new technological concepts while travelling and they can be adapted to my work, I definitely take note of that.

I, ME, MYSELF

How emotionally attached are you to your timepieces?

I am not emotionally attached to any material thing. I am only emotionally attached to my family. Of course from the business point of view, I always look at which watches are doing well, which are the stars and which are the non-performing timepieces. I have to make sure the star performers get their due and the non-performers get out. I get my inspiration and have a connection to watches, but it's not emotional.

What is the emotional link that some people have to watches? After all, watches merely tell the time.

Most people feel emotional about watches because they are status symbols. People who wear big brands want to show off how much money they have or what they can buy with that money and that's their emotional attachment.

Some people are rigid about keeping time and value punctuality.

I like to be on time and I like people to be on time. For me it's not something to show off. We have a certain period of time on this planet. Whether you are rich or poor, you only have 24 hours in a day and what's important is that we make the most of that time. We shouldn't waste it. If you don't manage time well, how can you set aside those two hours for your family or that one hour for your friends?

Would you be comfortable spending a week on an exotic destination without a watch and simply live by the rhythms of sunrise and sunset?

Get me the ticket and I'm on my way! I know the company will continue to run and a week wouldn't be a problem for me to take off; instead it would be very relaxing to not have emails, phone calls or text messages. I would have the best time. I'd be Robinson Crusoe for that week and come back rejuvenated.